Hiking the Inca Trail
 

My husband and I are planning a week long trip to Peru in March 2010. We like to stay in neat boutique type hotels in a cool location. When we camp - we want comfort (I am not the most outdoorsy type), while my husband love a sense of adventure and being "off the beaten path." We have narrowed our search to four companies that do the trip: Kensington Tours, Vaya Adventures, Mountain Vision and Llama Path. We are looking to go just the two of us, not with a group. Any advice on any of these companies is greatly appreciated.

www.andeantravelweb.com

review allInka trail permit info

permits issued to approved provisers

only for groups www.llamapath.com best

of the ones you mention.

For Boutique experience

www.mountainlodgesofperu.com

Salkantay(Savage Mountain) trek into MP

probably your best bet...

You might want to check out Mountain Travel Sobek (http://mtsobek.com). Their Machu Picchu Inn-to-Inn trip was profiled, http://www.mtsobek.com/mts/MII, in National Georgraphic May/June 2009 "50 Tours of A LifeTime" magazine. You stay at lodges at the end of the day instead of camping.

If you aren't into camping and squat toilets and freezing you butt off, you might want to check out The Salkantay trek done by Mountain Lodges of Peru. Its not THE INCA TRAIL. It is a different route to Machu Picchu and you see Machu Picchu from a totally different view point. The best part about it is that instead of camping, you stay in luxurious lodges with showers and toilets and hot tubs! There are 4 lodges along the trail and all are fantastic! The other hikers that had to camp all looked VERY jealous as they past us on the way to their tents while we sat in hot tubs.

Its not an easy hike. The highest point is almost 16 000 feet. But it was a great trip.

We booked our Trip through Adventure Smith Travel out of Lake Tahoe. I am sure other tour operators can book the same thing. Alternatively, you can go thru Mountain Lodges Peru yourself.

Here is a link to our pics: http://gallery.me.com/doctorjohn4

Just look under the Salkantay trek pics.

hope this helps

Nice pictures. Judging from your pictures, I think the Salkantay trek might have better scenary than the Inca trails, which I went last Sept.